Apparatus for restraining animals



June 18, 1963 A. PORTER APPARATUS FOR RESTRAINING ANIMALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1962 v m mm m m 4 w? 4% QM June 18, 1963 A. L. PORTER 3,094,101

APPARATUS FOR REsTRAI NlNG ANIMALS Filed. April 2, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

m fi iii.

Q I m INVENTOR. 41w 1. Pmrzr BY WM 4% afrragyir June 18, 1963 A. L. PORTER APPARATUS FOR RESTRATNING ANIMALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2, 1962 VAN-Ii VII/II/Illll/I [Ill/[In 74%; J AA ArTJAA Er United States My invention relates to apparatus useful in restraining animals, particularly rodents during laboratory processing, and more particularly to apparatus for restraining rats during laboratory studies.

Rats vary in size and length. In addition thereto, when it becomes necessary to inject or withdraw fluids from a rats tail, it is essential that the rat be firmly held. Since a rats tail is very strong, not only must means be provided for firmly holding the rats body of varying sizes but means must also be provided to firmly holding the tail in an exposed position.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved apparatus for restraining animals particularly rodents.

More particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide apparatus of the kind described which is capable of restraining animals of various sizes.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide such an apparatus having means for firmly holding the animals tail in exposed position.

Briefly, apparatus made according to my invention includes an elongated cage port-ion having side walls provided with slide guides or tracks for supporting a longitudinally slidable and vertically adjustable floor memher. The inner end of the floor member has attached thereto a vertically adjustable end Wall and at its outer end an elongated tail holder having an adjustable and slidable tail clamp mounted thereon. The outer end of the cage has a vertically slidable door for closing the cage when the slidable floor is in the desired vertical and horizontal position. A tongue on the :lower end of the door engages one of a plurality of slots in the floor for locking the floor place. A pivoted member on the door co-operating with a door frame prevents inadvertent opening of the door.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away to show details of construction of apparatus made according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is :a plan view of FIG. 1 with parts broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front end view with the floor and door removed;

FIG. 5 is a view of the adjustable end wall; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Apparatus made according to my invention includes an elongated cage construction including an end frame 10 and a door frame 11 having a pluralit of rods 12 extending therebetween and fixed to the frame 10 and door frame 11 in :any convenient manner.

The cage or frame also includes the side walls 19 and which extend between the end frame 10 and door frame 11 and may be secured thereto by any suitable means such as brackets 21 and 22 which may be secured by any suitable means that is by welding or screws.

A sliding door or end plate 12 is received within the guides 14 of U-shaped transverse section. These guides may be integral with brackets 21. This sliding door or panel can be locked in any one of several positions by means of the pivoted arm or lever 15, pivoted at 16. It is resilient and can be flexed outwardly. It is provided with a pin 16 which can be inserted in any one of the several apertures Or holes 17 in the panel 13 to be engaged under the door frame 11 to prevent the caged animal from accidentally opening the cage during the tests atent V 2 made on the animal. The door or panel 13 is provided with a tab or extension 18 to permit ready vertical adjustment thereof.

The space in which the animal is confined can be adjusted to suit the size of the animal by means of .an adjustable floor and end wall mounted on the floor.

The side walls 19 and 20, which may be solid plates, are provided with a plurality of grooves 25 which extend the length of the cage and provide slide guides or tracks 25. A slidable floor 26 can be slidably received in any oppositely disposed pair of these guides. Thus, the vertical space within the cage can be adjusted to that desired by simply sliding and supporting the floor on the desired slides. The floor 26 is provided with a plurality of slots or apertures 27 for receiving the tongue 28 on the door 13. This locks the floor member 26 against horizontal movement.

At the inner end of the floor member 26, there is provided an adjustable end wall 30 which comprises clamping mechanism consisting of the two well members 31 and 32 fixed to the floor 26 and the slidable member or panel '33 which is frictionally engaged by members 31 and 32 and slidable therebetween. The member 33 is provided with a pair of legs 34 and 35 for support when the member or panel 30 is extended.

The floor member 26 is provided with an extension or narrow elongated element 40 on which is slidably mounted the spring biased clamp 41 having the fixed jaw 42 and slidable jaw 43 spring pressed toward jaw 42 by means of spring 44. The rodents tail is extended along the member 40 and clamped in clamp 41 when desired.

. What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for restraining :an animal, including an elongated cage, a vertically adjustable and longitudinally slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, an end plate mounted at one end of said floor and transversely thereto and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, ,a tail clamp slidably mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage and adapted to engage said floor for caging an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped on said tail holder.

2. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage, a vertically adjustable and longitudinally slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, an end plate mounted at one end of said floor within said cage and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate and extending beyond said cage, a tail clamp mounted on said tail holder, and a door mounted on said cage and adapted to ca ge an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending \alon g and clamped on said tail holder.

3. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage having side walls, pairs of slide guides on said side walls and spaced vertically from each other, a vertically adjustable and longitudinally slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage on one of said pair of slide guides, .an adjustable end plate mounted at the inner end of said floor and transversely thereto and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, a tail clamp mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage and adapted to engage said floor for caging an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped on said tail holder.

4. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage, a slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, means in said cage for slidably supporting said floor at spaced vertical intervals, said floor having a plurality on spaced apertures in said floor, an end plate assembly mounted at one end of said floor and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, said end plate assembly including a wall element slidably mounted to provide a vertical extension of said end plate assembly, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate assembly, a tail clamp slidably mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage and having a tongue adapted to be received in any one of said apertures, said apparatus being adapted to receive an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped in said tail holder.

5. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage having side walls, pairs of slide guides on said side Walls and spaced vertically from each other, a vertically adjustable and longitudinally slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage on one of said pair of slide guides, an adjustable end plate mounted at the inner end of said floor and transversely thereto and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, a tail clamp mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted at one end of said cage and adapted to engage said floor for caging an animal Within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped on said tail holder, a pivoted member on said door having a member adapted to contact said cage to lock said door against vertical movement.

6-. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage, a slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, means in said cage for slidably supporting said floor at spaced vertical intervals, said floor having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures in said floor, an end plate assembly mounted at one end of said floor and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, said end plate assembly including a wall element slidably mounted to provide a vertical 6X-' tension of said end plate assembly, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, a tail clamp slidably mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage portion and having a tongue adapted to be received in any one 4 of said apertures, said apparatus being adapted to receive an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped in said tail holder.

7. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage having side walls, a slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, said side walls having guides for slidably supporting said floor at spaced vertical intervals, said floor having a plurality of spaced apertures in said fioor, an end plate assembly mounted at one end of said floor and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, said end plate assembly including a wall element slidably mounted to provide a vertical extension of said end plate assembly, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, a tail clamp mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage and having a tongue adapted to be received in any one of said apertures, said apparatus being adapted to receive an animal within said cage with the tail of said animal extending along and clamped in said tail holder.

8. An apparatus for restraining an animal, including an elongated cage having a door frame at one end, a slidable floor slidably mounted in said cage, means in said cage for slidably supporting said floor at spaced vertical intervals, said floor having a plurality of spaced apertures in said floor, an end plate assembly mounted at one end of said floor and serving as a wall between said floor and the top and sides of said cage, an elongated tail holder at the other end of said slidable floor from said end plate, a tail clamp slidably mounted on said tail holder, and a door slidably mounted on said cage adjacent said door frame and having a tongue adapted to be received in any one of said apertures, a pivoted member on said door having a pin member thereon adapted to contact said door frame to lock said door against vertical movement, said apparatus being adapted to receive an animal within said cage with the tail of said animalextending along and clamped on said tail holder.

Brosene et al. Feb. 6, 1951 Cook a- July 15, 1952 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR RESTRAINING AN ANIMAL, INCLUDING AN ELONGATED CAGE, A VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE AND LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE FLOOR SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CAGE, AN END PLATE MOUNTED AT ONE END OF SAID FLOOR AND TRANSVERSELY THERETO AND SERVING AS A WALL BETWEEN SAID FLOOR AND THE TOP AND SIDES OF SAID CAGE, AN ELONGATED TAIL HOLDER AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SLIDABLE FLOOR FROM SAID END PLATE, A TAIL CLAMP SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TAIL HOLDER, AND A DOOR SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CAGE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FLOOR FOR CAGING AN ANIMAL WITHIN SAID CAGE WITH THE TAIL OF SAID ANIMAL EXTENDING ALONG AND CLAMPED ON SAID TAIL HOLDER. 